The best chin surgery should be simple, with a definite effect
Chin surgery corrects a receding, long, or wide chin by moving bone or inserting an implant.
First, we will show you the basic information.
Chin implant placement and chin bone cutting surgery (osteotomy) are different surgeries. Because they differ from the anesthesia onward, the table below describes the two surgeries separately.
Implant placement is done under sedation or local anesthesia, and chin bone cutting surgery under general anesthesia (general anesthesia is administered by an anesthesiology and pain medicine specialist)
Both surgeries are performed only through the inside of the mouth (inside the lower lip)
Both surgeries use dissolving sutures, and the stitches are removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks
Chin bone cutting surgery 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes / implant placement about 1 hour
Chin bone cutting surgery may require a hospital stay of about one day depending on the surgery / no hospital stay for implant placement
8 hours for general anesthesia (no water either) / at least 4 hours when implant placement is done under sedation
For both surgeries, usually possible to some extent 1–2 weeks after surgery
Recommended from 3–4 weeks before surgery (literature recommendation)
Depends on the cause. For revision surgery for cosmetic purposes, we mostly recommend waiting until 6 months or more after surgery
Because this is surgery on bone, you may be very worried. Below we explain in order the methods, recovery, side effects, and symptoms to check promptly.
Chin surgery changes the length, projection, and width of the chin by cutting the chin bone and moving and fixing it in the desired direction, or by placing an implant in front of the chin bone.
In a word, it is a surgery that changes the shape of the chin by moving the chin bone or placing an implant in front of it.
Chin implant placement and chin bone cutting surgery have similar names but are different surgeries. Both the anesthesia and the extent of surgery differ.
The chin determines the end of the face's profile. So the nose, lips, and jawline all look different along with it.
Chin osteotomy (genioplasty, a surgery that cuts and moves the chin bone) cuts the chin bone horizontally below the roots of the lower front teeth and the mental foramen (the bone opening from which the nerve supplying chin sensation emerges), then moves the cut segment forward, backward, up, or down, or removes the middle segment to reduce the width, and fixes it with a metal plate or screws. Implant placement does not cut the bone; an implant such as silicone is placed in front of the chin bone to bring it forward.
In simple terms — There are two methods of chin surgery.
Results may vary from person to person.
For a narrow, long, protruding chin, the long chin length is improved through an incision inside the mouth.
Results may vary from person to person.
While reducing the length and width of a protruding, long, blunt chin, a V-line effect can be expected.
By what criteria do you choose a clinic? How can you minimize side effects, get a satisfying result, and avoid major problems?
From considering surgery and looking into it with interest to finally deciding to have it, a great deal of deliberation is needed. Even choosing a clinic alone involves too many options. And even after choosing a clinic, various worries arise about side effects, surgical results, and so on.
Seeing the people who visit the clinic for consultations or surgery, I have come to know the concerns that they commonly share. If you were ignored or brushed off after surgery, where could you even go to voice your complaint?
These are, in a way, natural expectations and hopes, but in reality, because we hear stories to the contrary through various channels, it is not easy to feel such confidence. It is good to visit several clinics, gather information, and compare. What is unfortunate is that you gain too much information but get buried in a flood of it, which makes judgment even harder.
Listening to people who have had consultations at several clinics, there are so many who are confused because they have a lot of information and knowledge about surgery but find it hard to judge what is important and what is not. In fact, many of them have consulted doctors who perform the surgery often and do it well, and in most cases what they were told is not very different.
The most important thing is to get a satisfying result while minimizing side effects. It is also to hope that if a problem does arise, it will be resolved smoothly.
It is performed when the chin is set back (receding chin), long, wide and angular, or crooked to one side.
In the table below, find the concern closest to your chin in the mirror.
| Concern | Usual direction of correction |
|---|---|
| The chin is set back (receding chin) | The chin is moved forward, or brought forward with an implant |
| The chin is long | Part of the chin bone is cut out to reduce the length |
| The chin is short | The chin bone is moved downward to increase the length |
| The chin protrudes forward | The chin is moved backward |
| The chin is wide and angular | The middle segment is removed to reduce the width |
| The chin is crooked to one side | The chin is moved to the center to align it |
Having one of these concerns does not mean we recommend surgery right away. The first of our treatment principles is “We never recommend unreasonable surgery.” If a cause other than the chin is greater, we will tell you so.
A Word from the Doctor
“Just because someone has a receding chin, you must never simply put in an implant or only bring the chin forward.”
If the lower teeth are set back or protrude considerably relative to the upper teeth, a surgery that changes only the chin may not be enough.
If the way your teeth meet has always bothered you, read this section first.
If the chin is only slightly set back, there are also ways to fill it without surgery. These are explained in Filler procedure information and Fat grafting surgery information. Because the balance of the profile is seen together with the nose, if the nose is your concern, please also see Rhinoplasty surgery information.
For a severely receding chin
For a severely receding chin, the recessed lower jaw (chin) bone is cut and moved forward. Because the bone itself is moved without an implant, the result looks natural and the change in the neck and side profile is dramatic.
For a chin that is not severely receding
This is a relatively simple surgical method in which an implant is inserted into the chin through an incision inside the mouth. Because it is done under sedation and local anesthesia, the burden is small, there is almost no swelling, and daily life is possible in 2–3 days.
Simple, without an implant
For people who are uncomfortable with implants, volume can be added with autologous fat grafting, fillers, and so on. With fillers, there is almost no bruising or swelling, and daily life is possible right after a simple procedure of about 15 minutes.
Moving the bone can change the length, width, and direction as well, while an implant is mainly used to bring the chin forward without cutting the bone.
Since you are probably most curious about which of the two methods suits you, we have placed them side by side in a table.
| Moving the chin bone (osteotomy) | Implant placement | |
|---|---|---|
| What can be changed | Forward/backward position, length (lengthening/shortening), width, left-right crookedness | Mainly bringing the chin forward |
| Anesthesia | General anesthesia | Sedation or local anesthesia |
| Surgery time | 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes | About 1 hour |
| Incision | Inside the mouth, inside the lower lip | Inside the mouth, inside the lower lip |
| Stitches | Dissolving sutures, removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks | Dissolving sutures, removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks |
| Daily life | Usually 1–2 weeks after surgery | Usually 1–2 weeks after surgery |
| What remains in the body | Metal plates and screws that fix the bone | Implant |
| Points of caution | Reduced mental nerve sensation, bone-healing period, tooth roots | Infection, implant shifting or showing through, bone resorption under the implant |
The two surgeries differ from the anesthesia onward. Chin bone cutting surgery takes 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes under general anesthesia, and implant placement takes about 1 hour under sedation or local anesthesia. For both surgeries, the incision is made only inside the mouth (inside the lower lip), dissolving sutures are used, and the stitches are removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks. Implant placement does not require a hospital stay, and when done under sedation, you fast for at least 4 hours before surgery.
At our clinic, we also consider an implant if the chin is short and not greatly recessed, and we recommend osteotomy if the chin is long, the width needs to be reduced, or a lot of correction is needed. If the receding chin is very severe, the two methods are sometimes used together.
A Word from the Doctor
“In the case of a very severely receding chin, any single method clearly has its limits.”
We do not decide based on age alone, but moving the chin back or reducing it can leave extra skin under the chin that looks loose, so we also look at the condition under the chin.
Some people worry that it may be too late for chin surgery now. So we begin by explaining what is looked at together.
The chin bone is the front support from which the soft tissues (skin, fat, and muscle) under the chin and in the front of the neck hang. Moving the chin backward or reducing its length shortens this support, so if skin elasticity has declined, the soft tissue under the chin can look loose. Conversely, moving the chin forward pulls the soft tissue under the chin forward.
In simple terms — The chin is the front support on which the flesh under the chin hangs. Reducing the chin or moving it back can make the leftover flesh look loose. Moving the chin forward pulls the area under the chin forward.
If the area under the chin is already loose, chin surgery alone may not be enough. Looseness under the chin is explained in Double chin muscle tightening surgery information.
The usual method is to incise the gum inside the lower lip, cut and move the chin bone and fix it, or insert an implant, then reattach the muscle and suture (stitch) the incision.
Both surgeries are performed only through an incision inside the mouth (inside the lower lip). Dissolving sutures are used, and the stitches are removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks. Because the surgery is done from inside the mouth, no scar is left on the outside of the face.
Our clinic performs both osteotomy and implant placement; we also consider an implant if the chin is short and not greatly recessed, and we recommend osteotomy if the length needs adjusting, the width needs reducing, or a lot of correction is needed. For osteotomy we mainly use the T-osteotomy method, which allows width, length, and front-back position to be adjusted together, and the moved bone is fixed with small metal plates or fixation pins. For implants, silicone is mainly used.
Chin bone cutting surgery takes 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes under general anesthesia, and implant placement takes about 1 hour under sedation or local anesthesia.
Chin bone cutting surgery may require a hospital stay of about one day depending on the surgery / no hospital stay for implant placement.
When general anesthesia is used, tests for general anesthesia are done before surgery. Anesthesia is administered by an anesthesiology and pain medicine specialist. You fast for 8 hours before surgery. No water either.
Since it may feel vague the first time, we have laid it out step by step.
Using facial photographs and CT (a scan that images bone in 3D), we look at the shape of the chin bone, the positions of the tooth roots and nerves, and how the teeth meet. Please tell us about all the medications you take and any illnesses you have. Before surgery under general anesthesia, tests for general anesthesia are done. Even things that seem trivial are fine.
For chin bone cutting surgery, an anesthesiology and pain medicine specialist administers general anesthesia. When you wake up, the surgery is over. Implant placement is done under sedation or local anesthesia.
The gum inside the lower lip is incised, and the chin muscle is detached from the bone. The place where the nerve for chin sensation emerges is identified and protected.
The chin bone is cut in a T shape along the planned line, moved, and fixed with small metal plates or fixation pins. When an implant is used, a pocket is made in front of the chin bone and a silicone implant is inserted and secured.
The detached chin muscle is reattached to its original place, the incision is sutured with dissolving sutures, and tape or a compression band is applied around the chin. The stitches are removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks. Chin bone cutting surgery may require a hospital stay of about one day depending on the surgery / no hospital stay for implant placement.
After chin bone cutting surgery, you can usually return to daily life to some extent in 1–2 weeks. Swelling lasts longer than this: the major swelling goes down considerably during the first month, and the remaining swelling subsides slowly over several months. Lower lip sensation may take even longer to return.
If you have work or an important appointment coming up, this is probably what you most want to know. The table below lists the course after chin bone cutting surgery by time point.
| Time point | Course |
|---|---|
| First few days | Swelling is at its worst. The lower lip and chin feel numb and stiff |
| 1–2 weeks | By this time you can usually return to daily life to some extent. While the wound inside the mouth heals, you eat soft food |
| 2 weeks | The stitches are removed inside the mouth |
| About 1 month | More than half of the swelling goes down |
| Around 6 months | Most of the swelling has gone down and the shape of the chin begins to settle |
| Around 1 year | The remaining swelling goes down a little more |
The time when daily life becomes possible and the time when most swelling has resolved are different. The speed of recovery varies from person to person, and the chin right after surgery is not its final shape.
After chin implant placement as well, you can usually return to daily life to some extent in 1–2 weeks. The stitches are removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks.
| Item | Chin bone cutting surgery | Chin implant placement |
|---|---|---|
| Surgery time | 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes | About 1 hour |
| Daily life | Usually 1–2 weeks after surgery | Usually 1–2 weeks after surgery |
| Stitches | Removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks | Removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks |
The swelling course table above shows values for chin bone cutting surgery.
After surgery, you will visit the clinic 2–3 times over about 2 weeks. The number and dates of visits are adjusted according to the surgery and your recovery. Dissolving sutures are used for closure, and the stitches are removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks. Please keep the stitch removal day if possible; the other dates can be adjusted.
So that you do not have to endure recovery alone, the doctor and the nursing team check your swelling, pain, and condition together. The third of our treatment principles is “We see patients more frequently after surgery.”
The key is not to move your chin and lower lip excessively until the reattached chin muscle and the wound inside your mouth have healed.
We realize it may be inconvenient, but everything below is meant to help the wound heal well.
You can call our main number, 02-541-8500, or apply through Consultation & Booking information.
If you still have questions after reading this, please feel free to ask them at your consultation.
The clinic is located on the 4th floor of Vorati Al Building, 480 Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It is a 1-minute walk from Exit 3 of Sinnonhyeon Station.
At your consultation, please tell us about any previous chin filler, implant, or surgery, whether you have had orthodontic treatment, the medications you take, and whether you smoke. If you have a facial CT scan taken previously, you are welcome to bring it.
Square Jaw Reduction Surgery and Nerve Injury?
— Dr. Park Jung Keun, Plastic Surgery Specialist · Face Plus Talk
In facial contouring surgery, especially square jaw reduction or chin surgery, particular care must be taken to preserve the nerves. Of course, in most cases nerve injury does not occur. This is because, in most cases, the nerves lie quite far from the site where the bone surgery is performed.
In addition, the position of the nerve can be determined sufficiently well from the X-ray taken before surgery. The nerve position can also be confirmed by eye during surgery in the operating room. So checking the position of the nerve is essential when performing square jaw surgery, but in most cases it does not become a major problem.
Then in what cases does it become a problem? First, if too large an amount is removed, injury may be possible. The bone is not necessarily removed all the way to the nerve position, and that is not desirable either. However, if an excessive amount is removed relative to the course of the nerve, there is a concern that the nerve may be injured. Therefore, excessive square jaw surgery should be avoided.
The same is true of V-Line Surgery performed together with chin surgery. This is because V-Line Surgery is, by its nature, a procedure that reduces the jaw further. Of course, nerve injury does not occur in most V-Line Surgery either. However, here too, if too large an amount is reduced, the risk of nerve injury increases.
In fact, because the nerve can be checked on X-rays before surgery and also by eye in the operating room, nerve injury seldom occurs. Most nerve injuries occur because of inexperience in surgical technique or removal of an excessive amount. Of course, because the course of the nerve differs greatly from person to person, there are cases in which a sufficient amount can be removed and cases in which only a small amount can be removed. But with thorough planning before surgery, the procedure can certainly be performed safely.
In consultations we often hear that chin surgery is too risky because the nerves are concentrated in the chin. Apart from small fine nerves, however, there are no large, important nerves in the chin area. That does not seem to be correct. Most sensory changes after surgery are temporary. After the sensation decreases because of pulling during surgery or because of swelling, most cases improve.
Besides swelling and bruising, you may experience decreased sensation in the lower lip and chin, bleeding, left-right asymmetry, nonunion (the bone failing to heal together), chin sagging, and implant infection or movement. Rarely, bleeding under the tongue can narrow the airway, and there are risks related to anesthesia.
This is information you need to know before deciding on surgery, so we have written it out in full without shortening it.
This is surgery in which the chin bone is cut or an implant is inserted. Please make your decision only after fully understanding the items below.
In plain terms — The following two are problems that need treatment right away.
A numb feeling in the lower lip is the most common change, and in most cases it returns over time. A left-right difference, chin sagging, or implant movement may become apparent as time passes, and in some cases it is corrected with another surgery.
For cosmetic purposes, revision surgery is mostly recommended 6 months or more after the operation, but depending on the cause, it is sometimes performed right away.
If you are bothered by the result, we fully understand the wish to fix it as soon as possible.
The timing of revision surgery depends on the cause. In cases like the following, it is better to operate right away without waiting.
When the implant is about to come through the skin or the mucous membrane, we also treat it without waiting.
Cosmetic revision surgery to refine the shape is mostly recommended 6 months or more after the operation. Before then, swelling remains and the bone and surrounding tissue are still settling into place, so what you see now is not the final shape.
Chin implant placement and surgery that cuts the chin bone differ in anesthesia and operating time. Implant placement is done under sedation or local anesthesia and takes about 1 hour. Surgery that cuts the chin bone is done under general anesthesia and takes 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, and depending on the surgery, a hospital stay of about one day may be needed. General anesthesia is administered by an anesthesiology and pain medicine specialist, and when you wake up, the surgery is already over. When general anesthesia is used, tests for general anesthesia are done before surgery, and you fast before surgery for 8 hours, without even water. Both surgeries are performed only through an incision inside the mouth (inside the lower lip), dissolving sutures are used, and they are removed from inside the mouth after 2 weeks. Implant placement does not require a hospital stay, and when it is done under sedation, you fast for at least 4 hours before surgery.
It cannot be decided in one way. The two surgeries differ from the anesthesia onward: implant placement is done under sedation or local anesthesia, and chin bone cutting surgery under general anesthesia. An implant does not cut the bone, but infection, shifting, and bone resorption can occur, and it is mainly used to bring the chin forward. Moving the bone can change the length, width, and direction as well, but reduced sensation and a bone-healing period come with it. At our clinic, we also consider an implant if the chin is short and the degree of recession is not large, and we recommend osteotomy if a lot of adjustment of length or width is needed.
Reduced sensation in the lower lip is a common change after chin surgery and is usually temporary, but in some cases it lasts a long time. If it stays the same after several months, or if you get tingling pain, please be sure to tell us at your visit.
With both chin bone cutting surgery and implant placement, you can usually return to daily life to some extent within 1–2 weeks after surgery. Swelling lasts longer than this: the major swelling goes down considerably during the first month, and the remaining swelling subsides slowly over several months (the swelling course is based on chin bone cutting surgery). Lower lip sensation may take even longer to return. Dissolving sutures are used for closure, and the stitches are removed inside the mouth after 2 weeks.
This links to a video on the Face Plus Plastic Surgery YouTube channel. View All FacePlus TV
These are surgeries and procedures often discussed together with this surgery during consultations. Whether to have them together is decided after an examination.
He personally consults on and performs facial aging treatments such as facelift, droopy eyelid surgery, and thread lift. The doctor personally sees you from consultation through recovery.
About the DoctorThe content of this page is general medical information provided in accordance with the Medical Service Act, and the effects and recovery time of surgeries and procedures may vary by individual. All surgeries and procedures can cause side effects, so please make your decision only after a thorough consultation with a plastic surgery specialist.
Facelift, droopy eyelid surgery, and thread lift: Dr. Park Jung Keun personally checks every stage, from consultation to recovery. Please schedule by phone or KakaoTalk, or leave a consultation request form.
Table of contents for this page 12 items
한국어
English
简体中文
繁體中文
日本語
Монгол
Русский
ไทย
Indonesia
Tiếng Việt
العربية
Eye Surgery
Rhinoplasty
Fat Grafting